The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art, was founded in 1921 by Duncan Phillips (1886–1966), a Washington D.C. collector who played a vital role in introducing America to contemporary art. Unusually for his time, Phillips saw American artists as fully equal to their European counterparts, often hanging their works side by side. Moreover, Phillips chose to buy and exhibit works according to stylistic continuities and affinities, reflecting the visual connections between various artistic expressions, past and present.

Master Paintings from The Phillips Collection offers a unique insight into the creation of one of the world’s greatest private collections of modern art. Featuring works by 85 artists, including major European artists Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Bonnard, and Picasso, El Greco who was “discovered” by Phillips, and celebrated American artists championed by Phillips: Georgia O'Keeffe, Arthur Dove, Milton Avery, and Augustus Vincent Tack, this volume aims to re-create what Duncan Phillips considered the “life-enhancing” experience of seeing new or challenging forms of artistic expression in an intimate setting